It's complicated
by Aggro Bunny
Summary: After an injury while out on patrol, things start to get complicated for Nick and Judy.
1. Chapter 1

A shiver ran down the Nick's spine as he looked up at the black night sky over Tundra Town. No clouds to be seen and yet fresh powder still piled up around them thanks to the snow machines around the district. His face scrunched up while his paw reached for the dial on the console, only to find that the heat was turned up all the way. A small huff escaped his lips and he jammed his paws into the pockets of his thick jacket. "What did we do to get the big man to put us here in the middle of the night?" Fog flowed freely from his lips while he spoke, reminding both him and his partner just how cold it was.

"Maybe he's still mad about us letting Flash go." His eyes watched Judy speak. He knew she had to be feeling the cold more then he was, at least he had lots of fur to keep him warm. Rabbits had such short coats. He gazed up at her hands gripping the wheel of their patrol car as she drove, he could see how tightly she was holding on. A little frown danced over his lips, but it didn't stay, quickly being replaced with one of his smirks.

He leaned back in his seat just a bit, "We should get you some gloves if you're going to be the one driving us around. Wouldn't want your little fingers freezing off, do we?" He spoke with a grin, showing off his sharp teeth to the bunny, though his eyes were soft. "Really though, maybe we should stop at a gas station and get you a pair? You've got to be cold, even with the jacket. Maybe some coffee too. I know I could go for a cup of joe."

A quick nod was his first reply before the bunny gave him a shiver and a groan, "Yeah, coffee sounds great." The tod could see it on her face, she wanted to suggest that earlier but didn't want to sound like she was trying to take extra breaks.

He pulled one of his paws out from his pocket and put it on her shoulder, giving her a little shake, "It'll help keep you awake too. I don't want you slamming us into a street light or something." With a scrunched up nose he pulled his hand back, turning to gaze out of the window now though, ears slightly dropping against his head. He felt a slight tightness in his chest too, like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"You alright?" Judy called out to her partner, "Your ears a drooping." She pointed out, though she did her best to keep her eyes locked on the road as a distracted driver was a dangerous one after all. Her eyes still drifted to the fox from time to time just to check on him.

With a swift shake of his head, Nick was once again wearing his trademark smirk, though his ears still looked a little limp. "Huh? Oh yeah, fine. Just bored." The fox's body tensed up a bit as his partner took a turn, heading for the first place that looked like it would sell them coffee. "I bet the boredom is just killing you, isn't it? We haven't had a single exciting thing happen in a week. Though I don't mind really." His gaze was on her from the corner of his eye, watching her.

A tiny huff escaped Judy's lips, "You're telling me. Ever since the missing mammals case, we've been given nothing but patrols! I want a big case again." His eyes watched her face closely, observing the way her brow tightened and her ears twitched. He would bet money her paw would be thumping right now if she wasn't driving.

"Come on, the calm stuff ain't so bad. I for one don't mind keeping the near death incidents to a once a year thing. Heck I wouldn't mind if we never have to run though the canopy of the Rainforest District again!" A strong shudder rolled over his body while he recalled them almost falling to their deaths, he never wanted to see the ground coming up at him that quickly again.

As his thoughts drifted towards that moment again he felt his chest tighten up. She was saying something to him, but right now he was spacing . his eyes stared unfocused out the window, the fur on the back of his neck was standing up just a bit now. Something didn't feel right. There was a tight feeling in his gut, almost like there had been when they were running through the museum, trying to get away from the rams."Nick! Are you listening?" The harsh tone of her voice got his attention once again, his ears perking and turning towards her.

"I'm not gonna lie to you, Fluff." A grin began to creep on his lips once again slowly as he didn't say another word. Though suddenly he was jerked to the side, making his head bonk the window slightly as the car turned sharply. That was going to be sore in the morning. "Jeez, rude."

A little giggle escaped Judy's lips while she stopped the car and pulled the keys from the ignition, slipping them into the pocket of her fluffy jacket. "Oh it wasn't that bad. Don't be such a kit about it."

Nick rubbed the side of his head, a scowl on his muzzle, "I'll remember this next time you bump your head, Carrots." Though he got a bit of dark satisfaction while he watched the bunny get out of the car only to start hopping from one paw to the other on the cold snow. "Better hurry inside, you don't want to get frostbite on those cute toes of yours.

She didn't need to be told twice clearly, she bolted for the door of the gas station, rushing right inside after slamming the car door shut as she took off. Nick on the other paw stepped out into the snow, letting it crunch under his pads a bit. The cold didn't bother him as much as it did the little bunny. For that matter, neither did being out this late.

The fox closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, the cool night air filling his lungs. He smelled a medley of scents. The most powerful one was of course the moist aroma of the snow. Though mixed in was a bouquet of breads and other baked goods from the bakeries around Tundra Town already starting on the day's wears.

He was always impressed by folks who got to work just before sunrise. Though his time in the police academy had helped him to get used to it. His ears flicked softly while he just listened to the city, taking it all in. It was so silent right now, a few cars starting in the distance. The dull sound of music from the one or two bars that hadn't kicked everyone out yet. It painted a picture for him, the picture of a city he loved.

Even still, as he began to pad towards the gas station he moved a paw up to grip his chest and his face contorted just a bit. "What's wrong with me? Things are good... just because things are going well doesn't mean something bad is going to happen. Calm down Wilde." The little pep talk he gave himself put a smile back on his face while he hurried into the convince store.

"Welcome to the Pack Mart." A voice called out from behind the counter. It belonged to a white wolf who looked pretty bored. He was wearing a red and black button up shirt with the stores logo on the chest, it looked a few sized too big for him. He didn't even look up at the officer as he spoke his rehearsed lines, "We've got a sale right now, buy a coffee and get a muffin for half off."

Nick gave a little nod and couldn't help but notice the cover of the magazine the wolf was gazing at rather then watching the store. Gazelle was on the cover. Though it wasn't one of the more credible pop culture magazines. No, this was one of the magazines that usually talked about finding proof celebs were cheating on their lovers, or their taxes or had murdered someone. He didn't even bother to read the cover, he was sure whatever story it was trying to sell was one hundred percent fake.

Something far more pleasant caught his attention though as he hurried along to meet up with Judy. The scent of carrot cake flavored coffee. A grin spread over his lips again, "Is that carrot cake I smell?" He asked while grabbing himself a paper cup. "Please tell me it is, because that smells amazing."

His partner was softly humming to herself as she added various creamers to her drink. He recognized the song in her heart as one of Gazelle's big hits, "Try Everything." That bunny really loved that song. "Yup, you should try it. It's to die for!" He watched her hips sway a bit while she began to stir up the coffee. "You know Nick, this weekend we should go catch a movie and get some dinner, how's that sound?"

Nick followed her example and began to pour himself some of that fragrant coffee. "This weekend? Hmm... sure. It's a date. But you're paying for the movie, I'll get dinner this time." He watched her face out of the corner of his eye. He loved to tease her like this. The way her nose began to twitch the moment he said date, the subtle hints of pink under her gray fur. All while he casually added only a tiny hint of vanilla creamer to his coffee, acting as if what he said was no big deal.

A soft thumping was heard from the bunny's paw against the floor, "It's not a date Nick." She huffed and quickly lidded her coffee, grabbing a muffin to go with it, heck it was half off after all. It didn't surprise the fox that she grabbed one with little bits of carrots in it.

"If you say so, Fluff." A smug look spread over his face while she stomped off towards the cash register. He hurried along behind her though, forgoing a snack of his own. he put his coffee down next to hers, "We're together. And can I get a scratcher ticket?" He fished his wallet out and handing the bored wolf some cash before Judy had a chance to protest. "You owe me breakfast after work." A little wink followed his words before the tod headed out the door, stuffing his change into his pocket.

"One of these days Wilde, I'm going to beat you to it." The bunny skipped alongside him, closing the distance between them with ease thanks to her speed. "One day you'll reach for your wallet but it'll be too late. Then you'll be the one owing ME breakfast!" Having said her peace the bunny bolted to the car, not wanting to stand in the snow longer then she had to.

Nick on the other hand moseyed along, taking a few sips of his coffee before finally reaching the car and climbing in. "Maybe one day Carrots, but you'll have to be quicker then you were in there." With triumph in his eyes the fox put his paws up on the dashboard while the pulled back out onto the street. He reached into one of his pockets for a quarter, using it to scrape away at his lotto ticket. He let out a chuckle and showed it to his partner, "Check it out. I won ten bucks. Guess today is my lucky day!"

Once their patrol resumed the partners sat mostly in silence, the glow of Nick's phone illuminating the car while he tried to keep himself from falling asleep. "Huh, did you know Gazelle is going to put out a new album in a few months?" He asked. With how big a fan she was of the pop icon, He wasn't surprised to see her face light up at that news.

"Of course I know that. I've already pre-ordered my copy." A grin was plastered on her face as she went on, "Which is a good thing because that means I'm going to get to listen to the preview track in a few weeks. Which is going to be awesome I'm sure!" The car shook softly thanks to the giddy bunny rocking in her seat ever so slightly and shaking the wheel along with her motions.

The sharp sound of coffee being slurped filled the car as Nick sipped his coffee, "We should see another one of her shows. That last one was pretty good I have to admit." The fox smiled softly as he thought about going to the show with her. His face softened, a real smile replacing the smirk he usually had. That concert had been some of the most fun he'd had in a long time, perhaps the bunny next to him was due some credit for that.

Any train of thought he had was interrupted when a piercing roar echoed through the sleepy streets of Tundra Town. "That doesn't sound good..." Of course Nick braced himself against the door quickly as he felt the car turn abruptly. He flipped the sirens on, "Maybe we'll get lucky and someone just stubbed their toe." Another thunderous roar put that hope to rest and made the fox sigh, "Of course not."

Nick prepared himself for work again, the night had so quiet and relaxing actually that he almost wasn't ready for something to happen. The fox checked his belt, opening each pouch one by one to check their contents. He pulled his paws down from the dash too and took a nice long sip of his coffee. The burning feeling making his eyes open up a bit wider. "Let's do this."

The trip to the source of the roar wasn't a long one, it had been just around the corner, out front of one of the last bars open at this hour. Two massive polar bears were tussling with each other. Their large paws landing slaps and punches on one another. Each time flesh met flesh the fox's ears pinned against his head. "Fluff, maybe we should call for backup, those guys are pretty big and angry and... you're already jumping out of the car..." his chest rose and fell quickly as he let out a sigh and got out of the car to follow his eager partner.

Judy bounced up alongside the two bears, the top of her head didn't even reach their knees. "Sirs, cease this at once. I'm Officer Judy Hopps with ZPD!" A large paw almost found it's way on top of her while the two titans shifted, leading her to scramble back and land next to her partner who was looking down at her with a raised brow.

"So what's the game plan Carrots? Calling backup is still an option. We could get Horn down here. He's a big guy." Though he could see clearly on Judy's face she wasn't about to just throw in the towel so soon. This was her problem to solve and by god she was going to do it. "Or you could try asking nicely again, see if that works." Nick sipped his coffee which he had of course brought with him from the car.

The little bunny rubbed her chin, her brow furrowing as she pondered. With a snap of her fingers she spoke up again, this time her voice was as loud as she could muster, which for a little bunny wasn't too much really. "If you don't stop right now, we'll be forced to taze you!" Still the bears fought on, leaving the bunny to thump her paw against the snow, she wanted to end this without anyone getting hurt.

"Hold this." Wilde passed his coffee off to Judy and leaned down, gathering up a sizable snowball from the slush on the ground. He took a moment to line up his shot, closing one eye and even sticking his tongue out just a bit before he lobbed the bunch of snow right at one of the bear's heads. "This should get their attention."

The powder burst when it it one of the bear's head and sure enough it got his attention. Though not in the way he was hoping. With a massive roar the fox found one of those giant paws coming right for him, claws fully extended. Nick saw his life flashing before his eyes now as that gargantuan claw sped towards him, easily as big as he was. His eyes clenched shut and he braced himself for the end. 'Maybe today isn't my lucky day...' he thought to himself.

However the end didn't come. Instead all he felt was something slam against him, but no pain. Though he was knocked onto his back and felt something warm splatter onto his face, along with a cry of agony.

A moment after hitting the snow Nick's eyes shot open to confirm his fear. On top of him was his limp partner, the snow around them stained red already with bits of fluff littering it. "No... no no no! You dumb bunny!" He climbed out from under the bunny as carefully as he could, taking in the scene before him. She was almost perfectly still, the back and side of her jacket were shredded and crimson was pouring freely from the hole. The red pool was mixing with his coffee that she'd dropped when she tackled him.

Nick's face contorted and his eyes began to dart about, his mind running a mile a minute. Quickly he pulled his own jacket off and laid it on top of Judy, dropping to his knees and putting a paw on her side to apply pressure to her wound. "Hang in there, Fluff." The fox hastily grabbed his radio and called for help. "Officer Hopps is down. I need back up and an ambulance at the corner of Halibut and Trout in Tundra Town and I need it now!"

Both paws found their way to her side and the panicked fox leaned most of his weight onto her, trying to stem the flow of blood, "Fluff, hang in there. Don't leave me! Come on, Judy, just stay with me, please!"


	2. Chapter 2

"Come on Judy... stay with me. Don't do this." Nick was in a panic. He wasn't sure what to do. Both of his paws were firmly pressed against her side, applying as much pressure as he felt was safe without risking hurting her more. His ears were both turning rapidly, listening for any danger or better yet, the sound of sirens that would let him know help was on the way.

The cold air nipped at him, but he ignored it. A bit of luck was had when the sound of sirens echoed through the empty streets of Tundra Town, heading right for them. He took a moment to look over at the bears, seeing they had both ran off, clearly panicking once they realized what had happened.

Nick brought his head down to Judy's, putting his ear near her lips, "Come on Fluff. Breathe for me, please, something." It was faint, but there was an intake of breath, letting him feel a good bit of relief. She was still with him. Though he was sure she wouldn't give up that easy. She wasn't the type to clock out early.

Time felt like it was crawling by, what was seconds felt like hours for the fox, feeling the snow under his knees slowly melt as it grew quite warm from the crimson fluid seeping into it. "Hurry up... please..." He muttered to himself.

"Come on, just a little longer Carrots, they're almost here then you'll be fine. Just stay away from any lights alright?" The injured bunny gave a little nod, a weak one. His lips curved down into a frown. "If you let go, I'll never forgive you, Fluff." He just had to keep talking to her. He had to keep her focusing on the here and now.

A few moments later the sound of the sirens was defining as the ambulance came to a halt right next to the pair. Two sheep jumped out and got to work quickly. Within moments they were next to Nick and Judy with a stretcher for the bunny. "What happened?" One of them asked as he and his partner lifted her up onto the stretched, directing Nick to keep applying pressure until he took over for the fox.

"There were two polar bears fighting, one of them took a swing at me and she got in the way. Just make sure she makes it!" The sheep gave a nod while he and his partner loaded the bunny into the ambulance and closed the doors The ambulance sped off only a moment later.

Nick stood there in the snow, now alone. He brought his hand up to his face and dragged it over his muzzle while letting out a sigh, only to suddenly taste copper on his lips, realizing he had Judy's blood on his paw. He quickly spit it out onto the snow under him. "Come on Wilde!" He made his way to their patrol car, climbing in and speeding off after the ambulance, lights blazing.

The car's tires spun on the ice a few times while Nick gave pursuit. The fox grumbled to himself while he did his best to keep the car under control. "She makes it look easy." Luckily the trip to Tundra Town General wasn't a long one and Nick quickly found a spot to park and rush to try and see Judy.

He wasn't allowed to go into the back with her but he did get a glimpse of the bunny. She had been stripped out of her jacket and shirt and her torso was covered in bandages now, that were stained quite red, making the fox's heart jump into his throat.

A young red panda nurse came and escorted him into the waiting area. He found himself mostly alone, save for one or two other folks where had their own worries. The room was spacious with plenty of seating. The chairs ranged in size from elephant to mouse sized. The scent of disinfectant hung in the air.

In the corner of the room was an old TV with some infomercial playing on it. He tried to keep his attention on it but he just kept thinking about how Judy looked being taken into the ER. She looked so weak and broken. "She'll make it..." He muttered to himself, even though part of him didn't believe that and was already thinking about what he would do if she didn't.

Nick's face fell into a frown and he quickly stood up, heading to the bathroom to try and get cleaned up, just hoping to find anything to keep his mind off of what had happened. Once in the tiny room he headed right for the sink and looked in the mirror. What looked back at him made his blood boil. Nick's face and shirt were smeared with crimson as were his paws.

A soft growl escaped his throat while he pulled his shirt off, tossing it aside and leaving him in just his undershirt and pants. He turned the handle on the sink to let hot water start pouring out, which he started to use right away to clean off his paws, scrubbing them good and hard until the water came away clear.

His muzzle was up next, it got much the same treatment, being rubbed until he was sure every last bit of red was gone from his orange fur. Just for good measure he rinsed out his mouth a few times. Once he was standing there, looking at himself in the mirror and seeing what looked like a drowned fox was he sure he'd gotten it all.

His green eyes locked with those of the fox in the mirror, seeing the worry that was on his face made his stomach twist in knots. "If that dumb bunny doesn't make it, it's your fault." He accused his reflection, "You shouldn't have antagonized those bears. Dumb fox."

With a shake of his head Nick turned back around, grabbing his wadded up shirt from the ground and in doing so making the lotto ticket he'd bought fall out of his pants pocket. The scratcher laid there, reminding him of his words, "Lucky day my tail!" With one of his damp paws he took the ticket and crumbled it, tossing it in the trash on his way back to the waiting room.

Nick trudged along back to his seat, flopping down and dropping his shirt next to him. The dull sounds from the TV was doing little to keep his mind off of Judy. "Maybe a nap would be a good idea." In fact he was sure it was. The hard waiting room chair offered little comfort but it was more then enough for the fox to rest his head on, laying down over three seats and curling up.

When his eyes opened again Nick found himself somewhere else. Instead of the smell of disinfectant filling his nose, he smelled flowers and grass. He couldn't even smell any of the scents he would normally associate with the city. Before him he saw a lake, with the sun setting on the other side of it.

He slowly started to realize he was sitting with his back to a large willow tree, it's branches drooping down over him. Nick looked over himself to find that he was wearing his normal street clothes, a green Hawaiian shirt with a loosely knotted tie and of course his gray slacks.

Another scent hit his nose now, vanilla and carrot cake. He quickly found the source of it. Judy was sitting with him, leaning against his side. "Are you watching Nick? You're going to miss the sunset." She pointed out over the lake again, pushing up against him a bit more firm.

He wasn't sure why she was laying against him in such a fashion but he went with it, slowly slipping his arm around her shoulders. His eyes wondered over her, instead of her uniform or even the bandages he had last saw her in, she was dressed in a button up shirt and a pair of jeans. A smile was plastered on her lips while her eyes looked out over the lake. Though soon her large purple eyes looked up at Nick, "You alright?" A little giggle escaped her lips even, a hint of pink moving over her cheeks. "Why are you looking at me instead of the sunset?"

A smirk slowly spread over his lips, "Well I don't know. I can't decide which is prettier." The bunny got a quick wink from the fox, though even as he turned to watch the sunset, his paw slipped down her side. He felt for any signs of her injury but found none, even giving her a small squeeze just to see her reaction.

What he got was a bunny giggling as she was tickled, "Nick, cut it out. I'm trying to watch." His smirk stayed on his lips, though he was curious. Why was he here? Where was here even? And why was Judy all snuggled up to him? Maybe she didn't make it and he had a heart attack and this was heaven? He could get behind that.

Nick let his toes press into the grass a bit, just feeling the soft foliage. "This is nice." He said softly to his partner, giving her a little squeeze and holding her closer. He was just happy to have her here with him.

While the sun kept slipping down, Judy tugged on his tie softly, "Hey, Nick. I've got a secret to tell you, but you have to come closer alright? I don't want anyone else to hear. "

A quick glance around let Nick see there was no one else around to hear anyway. Still though he indulged the bunny and leaned down to get close to her, his nose almost touching her own now, "What is it, Fluff. I'm a busy man."

"Closer!" She proclaimed, tugging his tie a bit more, "It's about you, you're going to want to hear it." The bunny's nose was twitching wildly, and her cheeks were so pink Nick could see it through her gray fur. It didn't take a genius to figure out what the secret was.

He turned his head softly, aiming his ear towards her so he could hear her better. His heart was racing quickly now, just waiting to hear her say it. "Nick, I- Officer Wilde."

Nick blinked softly, "What? That doesn't make any sense Carrots." He turned to face her, wondering what had gotten into her. The look on her face was the same it had been a moment ago, her eyes half lidded with a dopy smile on her lips, nose twitching away like there was no tomorrow.

"Officer Wilde!" She repeated once more, this time with a bit more urgency to it. "Officer Wilde, wake up." With that last bit the happy world around him crumbled and he felt himself being shaken awake. Natural light filled the waiting room and a glance up at the clock on the wall told him he had been asleep for quite a while, almost a full eight hours.

"Yes? That's me." He said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and looking up at the red panda who had escorted him into the waiting room before.

"Officer Wilde. I'm sorry to wake you, but I've got some things to tell you. Please come with me." She took a step back and waited for the much taller fox to get up and follow her, of course taking a moment to grab his shirt. He couldn't just leave his badge sitting in the waiting room.

He was lead back into the halls of the ER and to an elevator. Somewhere along the way the nurse had stuck a "Visitor" badge to his undershirt. "I've got good news for you, Sir. They were able to stabilize her and get her patched up. She's awake right now actually, though still in the ICU. In fact right after waking up the first thing she asked about was you."

Nick's trademark smirk spread across his lips once more, "Is that so?" This was the best news he'd had in a long time, even better then when he got into the academy. "How's she doing?" He was still worried. He had no way of knowing how bad the wound had been.

"Well, luckily the mauling wasn't as bad as it could have been. Nothing major was damaged, so as long as she stays off duty for a few weeks and doesn't over do it, she'll be just fine. Though it was good she got here when she did. She had lost a lot of blood."

A soft ding echoed in the elevator letting the pair know that they had reached their floor. A small yawn escaped Nick's lips as he stepped out onto the upper floor of the hospital. The scent up here was a bit less overpowering, though it was still dominated by cleaning supplies. He followed along behind the nurse until he was lead to a room, "This is her room. Visiting hours are until four PM." With that she excused herself.

Nick found that the door was open and slipped right in, knocking on the door frame only as a formality. "Carrots! How you feeling?" He asked heading for the bed that was at least ten sizes too big for a bunny her size. Though his smile faltered for a moment when he saw her.

Judy was dressed in a hospital gown and looked pretty bad. Her eyes had some deep circles under them, though her cheeks were pulled up in a smile. The gown covered her injury but judging from how she didn't make any attempt to really move he had a good idea about how bad it hurt.

"Nick! I'm glad you're alright. I was worried that you would get hurt too..." Hearing her say such a thing made Nick's ears droop. He quickly took a seat next to her bed and just kind of stared at her for a moment, a long one. "Nick? What? Why are you starring at me like that? Do I have something on my face?"

A smile slowly spread over the fox's face while he got up and pulled her into a hug, it was a gentle one of course, "You were worried that I got hurt? Fluff, you need to be more careful, don't do that again!" The bunny let out a grunt in pain even from the soft hug, but she gave it right back.

"Don't what? Keep an eye out for my partner? Sorry, no can do. As long as we're partners you can bet your fluffy tail I'll be keeping you safe, dumb fox." Judy pushed on him slightly, "Though can we stop hugging now, it kind of hurts."

With a smile Nick pulled back, moving to sit next to her bed once more. Maybe today really was his lucky day...


	3. Chapter 3

A small yawn escaped Nick's lips as the elevator doors opened before him, letting him out onto Judy's floor. He was in his uniform, complete with his shades tucked into his breast pocket. A plastic bag was gripped in one of his paws. With a little knock he let himself into the open room. "Afternoon Fluff. How are you doing?"

The bunny gave him a soft smile from her spot on her bed. She was looking better then she had a few days ago, the night of the accident. "Good. Though this bed is way too big. I've never had so much leg room in my whole life!" She gave her toes a little wiggle under the covers just to show off how little of the bed she was taking up.

"I have something for you." He took a seat next to her bed and reached into the bag, pulling out a Styrofoam container and set it on the bed next to her with a plastic fork. "Stir-Fry. From that place near the station. I figured it would beat the heck out of whatever they were feeding you here."

Judy's ears perked up as the smell hit her, making Nick smile. "Thank you!" She wasted no time in grabbing the container and popping it open, getting to work on the food. The big smile on her lips between bites made her appreciation clear.

"So when are they letting you out, Carrots? They said nothing major was damaged." He couldn't help but let his eyes wonder over her, mostly focusing on her side. It was covered by the gown she was wearing but still, he knew what was under that thin fabric.

He watched the bunny give a small shrug, swallowing a mouthful of food before replying. "I'm not sure. Doctor Smith said they just want to make sure I'm ready to be on my own. They're worried if I rip my stitches I could end up bleeding out."

A frown danced over Nick's lips for a moment. He knew Judy, and he could see her doing something like that. He quickly smirked though, "You? Ripping your stitches? Nah, I don't buy it." He leaned back in his seat, putting his paws up on her bed, "You know, Clawhauser is really worried about you. I told him he should come see you. Bogo is too, but he's less vocal about it. You know how the big guy is. 'How is Hopps doing? Good, now get back to work Wilde.' "

He let out a small chuckle, "You'll also be happy to know that today those two bears came in and turned themselves in. Admitted to fighting and mauling you." He couldn't help but grin about that. It was nice to see mammals take responsibility for what they did.

Nick's face got serious for a moment, one of his paws finding it's way up to the back of his head. "You know, you shouldn't have jumped in the way like that. You could have died." A frown perched itself on his lips now.

Judy looked over at him, giving him a little smile, "And you couldn't have? I just did the right thing. You're my partner and best friend, Nick. I know that you'd do the same for me." A smile spread across his lips slowly. Would he though? As he thought about it he grew more sure. Without a doubt he would have done the same for her.

"Alright well how about we just try not to end up in situations like that again? How about that? I won't throw anymore snowballs at drunk and angry bears. Scouts' honor." He raised his right paw in the scouts' salute.

Before Judy could say something in response her doctor made his way into the room. He was a large panda with a gentle face. "Hello Miss Hopps, Mister Wilde." He had with him a tablet and some paper work. "Good news Miss Hopps. You're going home."

His stylus went to work on the tablet, marking down a few things. "Now, you still need to be careful, alright? You won't be going back to work for a month or so. At least not back to patrol. Perhaps some desk duty in a few weeks. We'll have a follow up appointment before then to see how you're doing." He set down some papers before the bunny along with a pen.

"Let me make it clear, if you pull your stitches and start bleeding, come back to the hospital right away. I know you don't like to hear this, but you are very small and with a wound that size, it won't take you long to bleed out."

Judy nodded along, listening closely as she signed her release papers, looking quite excited to get to go home. "Thank you for all the help. I really appreciate everything." She was looking forward to wearing some real clothes again, only then did it hit her that she had been brought in wearing her uniform and that had been ruined!

She turned to Nick with a big grin, the grin of a bunny who needed something from her friend. Nick knew right away what that smile meant and stood up with an exaggerated sigh, "What do you need Fluff?"

"Clothes! I can't go home in a gown. You know where I live, just go grab me an outfit please. Something comfy looking! My house keys are in my locker at the station. You know my combo." He gave her a small nod and playful bow.

"Right away, Carrots. I'll be back before you're done with all the paper work." He turned and hurried out of the room. As he climbed onto the elevator he grabbed his phone, checking to make sure he had actually remembered to add her address to his phone when she told it to him.

The trip to the station was quick, making time to tell Clawhauser how she was doing. Next was the trip to her apartment. Of course now that he was standing in front of her complex Nick could only think one thing, "What a dump..."

"She really lives here?" With a little sigh Nick made his way in, heading up to her apartment itself. What he found waiting for him once he popped the door open was little more than a shoe box. "Cripes Fluff, I know you're small but come on..."

He was starting to understand why she never had him over for dinner or anything like that. He barely fit in here on his own, let alone both of them trying to crowd into this place. He carefully kicked the door shut behind him, barely pulling his tail out of the way as it closed.

Right away he heard the neighbors arguing. "No! The third one was better!" "You don't know what you're talking about, the first one was the only good on in the series!" "Shut up!" "No you shut up!" His ears pinned back against his head at hearing the two go at it.

It wasn't hard to find her dresser, given there was only one room after all. When he pulled the top drawer open he felt a small rush in his chest. It only now hit him what he had been trusted with. She let him into her home, with no supervision. He could snoop around, look through her things if he wanted to.

He was pretty sure this was a first in all of history, that a bunny had let a fox into her home while she wasn't there. He had to smile at that.

What Nick found in her top drawer was of course what most mammals kept in their top drawer, underwear. Part of him wanted to take a moment to get a better look, but he wouldn't betray the trust she put in him like that, instead just grabbing the first pair he saw. He wasn't about to make her go commando after all.

He did spend more time however picking out pants and a shirt. He wanted to make sure he got her something really comfy to wear, but not something that would make her look frumpy. He finally settled on a pair of leggings and a lose t-shirt. Her usual casual outfit.

Once he had the outfit all picked out he couldn't help have a look around. He didn't touch anything of course. His eyes wondered over her desk, finding a picture of her family, or at least a part of it, bunny families were massive after all.

The picture next to that one made him smile however, it was a picture of him. From his graduation day at the academy. He grinned from ear to ear now. He knew how proud she was of him, but seeing that she actually kept a picture of him on her desk really hit home.

Though there was no time to dilly dally. She was waiting for him after all. He quickly grabbed the clothes he'd picked out and set out returning to the hospital.

|The train ride back to Tundra Town was boring for the most part. Save for a young fox spotting him and wanting his autograph and gushing all about how when he grew up he wanted to be a cop just like Nick.

By the time he got back up to her room she was all finished with her food and with the paper work she'd been given. "You lied." She said, sticking her tongue out at the fox.

"Hey, it's not my fault your place is so hard to find." He teased, setting her clothes on the bed for her, putting her keys on top of the stack. "There you go. Don't worry, I made sure to leave everything where I found it. Well except the clothes. I'll be waiting in the hall, shout if you need help."

While he waited out in the hall all Nick could think about was how small her apartment was. And the fact that she'd be staying there, alone while she got better. Frankly it put a frown on his face. He didn't like the idea of her being on her own right now in general, let alone in such a tiny apartment!

"Okay, you can come in." Her voice brought his attention back to the world around him. He made his way in with a smile on his lips once again. He found her in the outfit he picked out for her of course. "How do I look?"

How did she look? He looked her over as he considered her question. Sure she looked good in the outfit, but there were a few things out of place. She wasn't standing straight up like she usually did, instead she was slightly hunched to one side, the side that had been hurt. He could see on her face that she was in pain, maybe not a lot but he knew that look.

"You look good." He lied, padding over to her and holding out his arm, "Here, I'll help you walk. Let's get you home. And you better be ready for me to come check up on you everyday."

Judy wrapped her arm around his at the elbow, "If you insist. But I'm sure I'll be fine!"


	4. Chapter 4

The rain was coming down hard in the city center, though that didn't bother most of the mammals. They all had important things to do. Some where on their way home from work, while others were off to get dinner as the late afternoon set in.

Nick on the other paw was heading to see his friend, hiding under an umbrella, he did his best to keep from getting wet. He had gotten off work not too long ago and figured now as a good time to go visit Judy. He was dressed in his usual attire, a green Hawaiian shirt and a pair of brown slacks, And of course a tie to match.

His tail was curled up around his waist at the moment to keep it out of the rain as he walked, the last thing he wanted right now was a cold and soaked tail.

Nick hadn't been able to visit Judy for the past few days she'd been out of the hospital. Bogo had been keeping him kind of late and by the time he clocked out the only thing on his mind was a warm bed. So of course he planned to make it up to her by bringing her a treat.

Tucked under the fox's arm was a carrot cake, fresh from the bakery. Even with the damp scent in the air he could smell the aroma of such a sweet confection just waiting to be eaten. "I hope she's hungry." Nick made his way into the shoebox of an apartment building, heading up for his friend's apartment.

He knew he was getting close when he heard the sound of two antelopes arguing about some TV show. Nick came to a stop at the door with the carrot welcome mat and gave a knock. He waited quietly for a few moments but when he got no reply he knocked again, louder.

Finally he heard something on the other side. It sounded like paw steps alright, but not Judy's normal quick ones. No, these were sluggish. Soon enough the door to her apartment opened and what greeted Nick worried him.

Judy was smiling up at him, but she frankly looked like hell. She had bags under her eyes and her fur looked ruffled and in need of grooming. Her clothes looked like she'd been wearing them for a few days in a row. "Hey Nick." Her nose twitched a bit as he watched, her eyes locking on the carrot cake under his arm.

He gave her a worried smile, "Hey Fluff, how are you? Mind if I come in?" He didn't wait for an answer and walked in past her, looking around her little apartment. What he found worried him even more. Things were in a sorry state. Her trash hadn't been taken out in a while. Her bed was a mess too, it clearly hadn't been made in days. No, none of this was right for Judy.

Though of course it made sense when he thought about it, she was still recovering. Only now did it really hit him just how much she needed help.

"I'm doing fine." She said, closing the door and making her way over to him. She sniffed at the box again, "Is that what I think it is?" She asked, licking her lips ever so slightly.

Nick gave her a little smile, holding the box out to her, "Yup, and it's all yours." He watched as she snatched the box from him and went to her bed to start enjoying the cake. The way she ate it worried him. It was like she hadn't had a good meal in days.

He moved to sit near her on the bed, wondering how to bring up that she needed help, "Is there anything else I can do for you, Carrots?" He watched her with a worried look, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, "Because it really looks like you need some help..."

Judy stopped eating the cake for a moment, looking up at him, glaring in fact, "I'm fine Nick, don't worry. I can take care of myself." She had a firm tone in her voice, but it fell short. "Thank you for checking up on me though."

Before Nick could say something more Judy reached for a napkin only to wince and grab her side, her face contorted. Though she didn't have to reach anymore as Nick handed her the napkin she was reaching for. "Here you go, Fluff."

"Thank you." She went back to enjoying what Nick was becoming more and more sure was the first real food in days.

He started to put things together though, and something worried him, "Carrots… when was the last time you changed your bandages?" He asked, since with the way her fur looked and her room looked… well it wasn't hard to put the pieces together.

"Just this morning." She commented quickly and curtly, not looking at him as she spoke this time, making the fox raise a brow at her.

Nick had a feeling what he was about to do might get him in trouble but he was too worried about her not to. He reached over and carefully, but quickly pulled the back of her shirt up and what he found upset him.

The bandages covering her side and back were very clearly old, how old he couldn't say but they needed to be changed. "Judy..."

She quickly tugged her shirt back down, "Nick! I said I'm fine." Her tone was a mix of annoyance and embarrassment, her cheeks burning pink from being caught.

Nick's brow furrowed "Fine? No, you're not. Do you want to end up back in the hospital with an infection, Fluff? Because if we don't get that cleaned up, that's exactly what's going to happen. Now let me help, please."

She was reluctant at first, almost acting like she hadn't heard him before letting out a sigh and pushing the cake away, slowly pulling her shirt up over her head with her back towards Nick. "Alright… The bandages and stuff are there." She said, pointing to the drawer of her bedside table.

He went to work quickly, pulling the drawer open and grabbing the box that was inside and setting it on the table. He took hold of the scissors that were inside and carefully cut the old bandages off of her, really getting to see her wound for the first time.

Nick grimaced at what he saw, but kept any thoughts to himself, instead simply getting to work, "This is gonna sting a bit." He commented, starting to dab at her wound with a swab dipped in alcohol.

The way she reacted made him frown, her whole body tensing up and her biting her lip, a small whimper coming out of her lips. She was putting up a front for him, but he could tell this really hurt. He tried to be quick but also thorough about it.

Once he was satisfied that everything was nice and clean he began gently applying new bandages to the wound, carefully applying medical tape to keep it in place, "There, all done." He said, putting everything back in it's place in the box and even getting up to grab her a new shirt, bringing it to her.

"Fluff… You need help." He said, watching as she got her shirt on with a few grunts and winces when she stretched her side just a little too much.

"I'm fine, Nick, really..." She lied, pulling her shirt into place finally and turning to face him, "Besides, if I did need help, I couldn't ask you to be around constantly…"

He cleared his throat softly, "What if I offer? Because that's what I'm doing. Fluff, come stay at my place until you're better. I'll change your bandages, cook you dinner, or at least order something every night. I'll make sure you've got clean clothes everyday too. And we can make sure that your fur is clean too."

She shook her head, looking off to the side, "I can't ask that of you. That's too much. Thank you for the offer though, Nick."

Nick let out a soft sigh, "Judy… You're like this because I made a mistake and you saved me. So I owe you, alright? So let me help you, please."

Judy gave him a look, scrunching her nose slightly at him. She was silent for a long few moments before relenting with a sigh. "Alright." Her shoulders slumped slightly, "I need help, you're right.

A wide smile spread across Nick's muzzle, "Great. I'll pack you some clothes alright? You just sit back and relax. Nick's got you covered, Fluff." He got right to work, raiding her drawers to gather up some outfits for her to wear, trying to find things that looked comfortable.

After a few minutes he managed to pick out enough outfits for her to have a different one each day of the week. "Alright, where do you keep a suitcase? You do have one right?" He asked, cocking a brow at the injured bunny.

She gave a small nod and pointed under her bed, "Not a lot of storage space in this place." She had a little smile on her face, watching him work. It was hard to believe this was the same fox who only about a year ago was trying to swindle her out of twenty bucks for some ice cream.

In a flash only Nick's bushy tail could be seen swaying about in the air while he fished around under her bed. "Jeez, you weren't kidding. You use this place like a second closet, don't you? You really need to get a bigger place, Carrots." He commented as he pulled himself out from under the bed, dusting his shirt off and setting the suitcase on the bed next to Judy.

"Something that actually has a bathroom built into it, a kitchen too. You know, the basics?" He asked with a teasing grin, "After a few weeks at my place you won't want to come back here, you're going to love it." Nick was quickly packing her clothes away, even making sure they stayed folded.

Judy had to smile as she watched him pack her things for her. "You seem really eager to have me over." She commented, sticking her tongue out at him playfully. "Thank you, Nick… This really does mean a lot to me."

"Ah, don't mention it, Fluff." He said, zipping her bag up for her, making sure to grab her phone charger too, that would be the biggest crime to forget! "What do you want for dinner? I can't let you just have carrot cake alone in good conscience. You're a growing bunny after all! You need real food." He was grinning kind of wide now and his tail was shifting behind him, almost wagging.

"Maybe just a salad… Nothing special." She insisted, climbing down from the bed with a little grunt since it looked like they were ready to get going. She didn't want to slow Nick down at all.

"Alright, there's this great place on the way to my place, they make some amazing salads. I'll call them up as soon as we get back to my place and they'll have you fed in a jiffy!" He grabbed the umbrella he'd brought with him and took her suitcase in the other hand, preemptively wrapping his tail around his waist to keep it from getting wet once they were outside.

As Nick stepped out of her door and into the hallway of her building something occurred to him. The walk back to his place wasn't bad, but with her like she was, "You know what, let's call a cab." He suggested. It wasn't going to be cheep, it never was in the city center. But the idea of her walking all that way, in the rain with him wasn't an idea he could get behind.

She gave him a little nod and got her phone, calling them a cab on the way down. Soon enough the two of them were waiting on the ground level under Nick's umbrella. It wasn't the biggest thing in the world so Judy had to lean against him to stay out of the rain, her head resting on his warm tail.

"Shouldn't be too long." He said, looking down at her with a little grin, "Comfy?" He asked with a teasing tone in his voice since she was using his tail as a pillow. Not that he minded, but he couldn't help himself but to tease her.

She pulled her head away in reflex, feeling like she'd been caught, "Yes, I was." She said, looking a little grumpy at his teasing.

"Well, then keep your head on it, I don't mind, Fluff. I'm here to keep you comfy for the next few weeks while you recover anyway. So if you want to use my tail as a pillow, you can anytime."

Before she could do just that however the cab arrived. Nick made sure Judy got in first before he went to put her suitcase in the trunk. He climbed in shortly after her, "It's really coming down out there." He commented to the cabby who just nodded, "Where to?" The panther driving the cab asked. "1726 Palm Way." He said, getting in nice and comfy next to Judy before the cab took off.

The ride was a short and uneventful one, they had gotten the one cabby in Zootpia who didn't make a habit of talking to his clients while they rode. Not that Nick really minded, it gave him more time to relax and think about the next few weeks. He was going over a mental checklist in his head to make sure he would have everything Judy would need.

He hardly noticed that by the time they'd gotten to his place she'd fallen asleep leaning against his tail once again. Nick smiled softly at the sight before gently shaking her, "We're here Hopps. Wake up."

Her ears perked up at her name being called and quickly she was awake, slowly sitting up. "Sorry, I didn't realize I was so tired." She commented while they climbed out of the cab, once Nick had her stuff ready of course and had paid the fare.

"Don't worry about it. Now let's get inside before you catch a cold." He ushered her towards the door of his apartment building. He lived in a better part of t own than her. Not upper class by any means. Middle class was the best way to put it. "You're going to love this, we've got an elevator here, no stairs for us." He said with a chuckle, leading her in and right to said elevator.

The inside of the apartment building was nice looking, it clearly was taken care of by at least a few staff members to kept things dusted and clean.

Mirrors lined the inside of the elevator, letting Judy see herself for the first time in a while, "Oh jeez… You're right, I do look bad." She said with a little chuckle, trying to make light of it. "I do need a shower…"

"You can worry about that in the morning." Nick said as their ride came to a stop with a ding six floors up. "For tonight, you're going to put your paws up, watch some TV and let me order you some food, that's it, Fluff."

She gave a little nod, that sounded good to her.

The pair made their way down the hallway towards Nick's apartment. Once inside Nick set her bag down next to the couch and put his umbrella somewhere for it to dry off. "Welcome to my home, Carrots. Your home too for the next few weeks. Now get comfy while I call in some food." He said, pointing to his large couch. Well large for her, it was fox sized after all.

Judy got herself sat up on the couch while Nick left the room to make a call, leaving her to turn his TV on. His TV which she found to be pretty big, bigger than her! When she turned it on it was on the news, with Gazelle being interviewed "I want to say that these rumors are hurtful and untrue!" She stated, "Having hurtful words like this spread about me is disrespectful at the very least." Of course the news cut away after the interview without saying what the rumors had been leaving Judy in the dark about it.

Nick was back before she knew it, plopping down on the couch next to her, "Dinner will be here in five." He put his paws up on the coffee table and got comfy. He was sure the next few weeks were going to be great, of course spending time with Judy was always great in his book, she was his best friend after all!

Just a little author's note here. Sorry for the long wait! I'll try to get the next one out a little sooner!


End file.
